It’s all about possibilities for Bjorn Bates and Ella Coyne.
Before UNC Greensboro, they each were trying to find their way in the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and both needed a change.
“I was working as a welder at the time and I didn’t want to get into a career path that wasn’t going to give me the kind of intellectual fulfillment that I wanted,” says Bates, who is now studying for a bachelor of fine arts in photography.
Coyne was studying at another out of state university when she decided to take a step away and be closer to family in North Carolina.
EXPLORING BEYOND CAMPUS
They each landed at UNCG’s School of Art where the possibilities began. For two weeks last summer, they had their own residency at Salem Art Works in Salem, New York. UNCG covered most of the expenses.
“It was just us on their campus, which is a big, beautiful sculpture park with studio buildings on a mountain in upstate New York,” Bates says.
With free reign of the Salem Art Works facilities, Bates and Coyne were able to dive into their artistic interests.
“We could just roam around and get inspired by all the work that has been made there before. It’s so beautiful in upstate New York,” says Coyne, a senior studying for a bachelors of fine arts in sculpture and ceramics. “You have to explore ideas beyond what is being taught in class, beyond what’s happening on campus. There is so much to be learned from other people and other experiences.”
Coyne focused on “plein air watercolor” – or outdoor painting – and used the Salem Art Works workshop to explore wood carvings and glass blowing. Bates worked on photography, creating a portfolio of negatives to bring back to UNCG.
“I wanted to approach it as creating a body of work,” Bates says. “I brought my large format camera, and was planning to take as many pictures as I could.”
SHOWCASING ARTISTIC POSSIBILITIES
Salem Art Works encouraged the pair to showcase their work, so they returned to Greensboro and were offered the opportunity to curate their own show at UNCG’s Maud Gatewood Studio Arts Center in September 2022 – aptly titled “Possibilities.”
“The possibilities represented by the show are being able to make things, being able to work independently, and not having to wait for opportunities to come to us,” Bates says. “We have the power, knowledge, skills and ambition to learn all these things.”
Bates showcased large format film prints – a skill he says was self-taught but aided with UNCG darkroom facilities, while Coyne showed off her glass blowing work.
“My work, displayed in chronological order, shows how I learned how to blow glass. I start off with very wonky – tiny little cups with thick bases that are slanted to the side – but they function as a glass, so they work,” Coyne says. “And then I end with a large pitcher that I serve lemonade out of. I think it just goes to show that a lot of the time artists don’t appreciate the process of learning.”
Coyne and Bates documented their September gallery in photos and sent them back to Salem Art Works. Starting April 4, their show has been on display at Salem Art Works – a unique opportunity made possible by UNCG.
“I love how supportive faculty and my peers are at UNCG,” says Coyne. “It’s a very tight knit community that is very willing to support students, especially with funding. That kind of support is what encourages students to follow their dreams, follow curiosity, and follow new ideas.”
Story by Avery Craine Powell, University Communications
Photography courtesy of Bjorn Bates
EXPLORE ALL OF THE POSSIBILITIES AT UNCG
